Mayor Bob Knight giving a speech.

Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us on this exciting occasion for Lawrence Dumont Stadium.

I am sure you will all agree when I say that Wichita has a lot of long-standing traditions. We honor our history in this City and we have all worked together to continue the preservation of that history… from renovating the Eaton Place to attractions like Cowtown, we are all still proud of what Wichita once was.

Today we are honoring Wichita's history – our baseball history. You may have heard of people who fell in love with the sport of baseball watching it on the sand lots at one of baseball's historic stadiums such as Chicago's Wrigley Field or New York's Yankee Stadium...but I, like many Wichitans, fell in love with the sport right here at Lawrence Dumont Stadium.

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium was built in 1934 as a WPA assignment. Today it is one of the 15 oldest baseball stadiums still in use in professional baseball. Hap Dumont, who had started the National Baseball Congress in 1931, promised Wichita he would host a national semi-pro baseball tournament if a new stadium was built. This is that "new stadium" and today it stands even more beautiful than ever before.

Since 1935, the NBC tournament has drawn huge crowds and hundreds of future major league players to Wichita. It is hard to imagine all the baseball icons that played here...names like Satchel Paige, Joe Garagiola, Ozzie Smith and Reggie Jackson...to mention just a few. Today's fans may have seen Mark McGuire on this field. Many of these Hall of Famers will be honored here, just as they are in Cooperstown.

I am pleased to say that the City Council recently hit a homerun when we took action to ensure baseball is guaranteed well into the future for Wichita. We can thank Bob & Mindy Rich not only for their willingness to continue to bring great baseball to Wichita but also for their continued investment and support in our community.

Satchel Paige memorial signage.

This fantastic improvement to Lawrence Dumont is a part of our Riverbank Improvements plan. By opening up the stadium and removing the large wall, we have brought the natural beauty of the Arkansas River to the fans that enjoy the sport of baseball. This is the first important phase of the River Improvement Plan. It will be followed by a new pedestrian bridge, elevation of the Keeper of the Plains and development of a true River Walk...all soon to begin. This will improve our City not only for visitors, but more importantly for those who live here. We are now beginning to see our own "Field of Dreams" become a reality in our River Corridor.

Today we have two reasons to celebrate: one of baseball...and one of partnership. Our partnership with Bob & Mindy Rich continues to thrive...just as other partnerships that the City has forged to make Wichita a world-class city. But as we celebrate this partnership with Bob & Mindy, we are truly celebrating baseball in Wichita. They are part of our past... and certainly a part of our future.

Today we unveil a fantastic addition not only to Lawrence Dumont but also to our River corridor and the City of Wichita. It is the NBC Walk of Fame. It will keep Wichita's place in baseball history alive for all generations to enjoy. We all know these men in this Walk of Fame. They have played the sport we love right here in Wichita. There will be many more like them. And we will have the honor of seeing it...history in the making...as it happens…right here in Wichita. This is more than just baseball...it is something that will inspire future generations to come that they can be anything they want to be just as these Hall of Famers once did. Wichita, be proud of your baseball heritage and enjoy this NBC Walk of Fame.